Spectacles for athletic competitors



Dec. 18, 1956 M. s. OLSON ETAL 2,774,279

SPECTACLES FOR ATHLETIC COMPETITORS Filed Feb. 9, 1953 INVEN TOR. MARSHALL 5. 04s o v ZMIDMARK AZ'ZwiMEYs United States Patent C F SPECTACIES FOR ATHLETIC COMPETITORS Marshall S. Olson and Richard C. Lindmark, Minneapolis, 1 Minn., assignors to N. P. Benson Optical Company, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application February 9, 1953, Serial No. 335,664

' 6 Claims. 01. 88-43) This invention relates to ophthalmic lens mountings. More particularly it relates to ophthalmic lens mountings adapted to withstand rough usage such as is encountered during participation by the wearer in active athletic competition.

Although considerable progress has been made in producing spectacles which may be worn by persons having impaired vision while they are actively participating in athletic competition through the manufacture of non-breakable lenses and so forth, little or nothing has been accomplished to protect the facial features of the wearer from injury from the lens holding frame or to protect other competitors from injury from such frames. For example,a sharp blow on such a frame oftentimes causes the common nose pad to be broken or its supporting strap to be bent with the result that one or both gouges into the flesh of the wearer and does serious damage. Also, other competitors frequently bump into the temple hinges of such frame and are seriously injured thereby. In addition, such a blow frequently causes the lens to be sprung free of theeye wire and ejected therefrom. Another problem which exists is that lenses which approach a circular shape frequently rotate slightly within the eye wire and produce a distorted vision for the wearer. Our invention is directed toward overcoming these disadvantages.-

It is a general object of our invention to provide novel and improved spectacles adapted for wear by persons actively engaged in sports and other activities where frequent and rough body contact is encountered.

A more specific object is to provide novel and improved spectacles for wear by athletic competitors which will eliminate serious damage and injury to the nose of the wearer from the spectacle frame when the wearer collides with another competitor.

Another object is to provide novel and improved spectacles constructed to absorb, in an improved manner, the shock which would ordinarily be received by the wearer when the latter collides with another comment by competitors having noses of various sizes and shapes. 7

Another object is to provide novel and improved spectacles constructed to preclude the possibility of the lens thereof rotating within their retaining eye wires.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

2,774,279 Patented Dec. 18, 1956 Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of only the metal framework of the spectacles;

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the completed spectacles;

' Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the same; an

'Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44.of Fig. l.

One embodiment of our invention, as shown in Figs. 1-4, may include a pair of eye wires 5 and 6, each having a nasal side 5a, 6a respectively and a temporal side 5b, 6b respectively. These eye wires are rigidly and fixedly connected to a central bridge member indicated generally as B. Each of the eye wires 5 and 6 carries a temple hinge 7 and 8 respectively at the upper portion of its temporal side. Each temple hinge 7and 8 has a pivot 9 and 10 respectively which pivotally connects the respective temples 11 and 12 to the respective eye wire. Each of the temples 11 and 12 carries a bow 13 at its outer end. An elastic band (not shown) extending between the bow 13 is normally utilized to 'fit around the back of the head of the wearer maid in securing the entire spectacles to the head of the wearer.

The eye wires 5 and 6 are each grooved interiorly to receive and secure therewithin a pair of lenses 14 and 15.

the lens and the respective eye wire at such positions.-

Reference to Figs. 1 and 3 shows that these recesses14a, 14b and 15a, 15b are spaced vertically and opposite each other so that the uppermost thereof is opposite the piece of the bridge section which extends between the eye wires and so that the lower recesses are opposite each other at a point substantially below that part of the bridge member.

The bridge member B includes a pair of nose strap supports 16 and 17 which are elongated straps of metal secured at their upper ends as at 18 and 19 to the respective eye wires 5 and 6 and then extend rearwardly and downwardly therefrom so that the lower ends thereof may be fixedly secured to their respective eye wires as at 20 and 21. The medial portions 22 and 23 are spaced rearwardly from the eye wires 5 and 6 so that there is an opening therebetween and are each perforated by a plurality of apertures such as 24. Fixedly secured at each of its ends to the medial portions 22 and 23 of the nose strap supports 16 and 17 is a rigid band or nose strap 25 shaped to in general follow the contour of a human nose. r

- Mounted upon eachof the eye wires 5 and 6 adjacent the lower 'end portion of the nose strap supports 16 and 17 and fixedly secured-to each is a strap 26 and 27. These straps extend rearwardly from each of the eye wires 5 and 6 and-then downwardly and inwardly and have their lower ends fixedly secured to the eye wires at a lower level. In this manner the straps 26 and 27 each form a loopwhic'h'extends rearwardly-from its respective eye wire and follows in general the outline of the eye wire.

Mounted upon the bridge member B and completely encircling the same is'a coating 'or arch indicated'generally as C which is made of soft, resilient and tough material.. We have found that a satisfactory material is a material having a natural rubber base and having Shore Durometer Hardness of approximately 50-60 and having non-toxic properties. We have found that such a material having a tensile strength of approximately 1200 the ape t s 14M h s ifi- A a i i also extends through the loop members 26 andlj. The

this purpose. The arch C has apair of downwardly extending legs 28 and 29 which extend downwardly along tlz e nasal, sideofilthetrespectivet ege wires and embrace the" same; The material "cunts; extends es l as s b t the asia tpa g 'set i nose strap. supportsglo and'theeye v 5 and 6 at/that 7 point. 'As can best be seen'by' Figs. Z'and 3, this encases; the. nose strap completely. A portion of the material of, the arch passes mmiig each oii the recesses no; 14b"and "152z,1IShIand,eneircles fthefeyeIwire at etpointsf' Reference ,to Figs, 3;readilyfshows Ihatf the: arch C is:shapd to c ntent; to. the-{nose of. a beingfsci-thatthev spectacles maybe worniin the sa rnann i' as ariy ordiilarylspectacles having nose pads which, incur invention, have. been completely eliminated.

Y 7 ysurrouiidinglme temple. hinges 7 and 8 -andz extending earwerll fis a ia g lefisi h mP1a l1 i 2 i a H ir. wan am sse sas ere Pr erably; of a soft, resilient and tough materialsimilar to i J thatfu'sedl inthej arch i u e, the we re rr st' e rececles i l t a he t l 't 31 P of t s ss ht e @XWP that the elastic band is applied around the back of the head The soft, resilient and; tough arch cooperates withthe casings 30 and 3L to absorb any severe shock vhl fl e hf r dm t e ec es s: a result collision of the wearer with; other competitors in sports,- 7 The shock is absorbed through the resiliency of imm t r al 0 the s s n 3 a d; e ia er af he s i C th t c kc i qpd f fli en s 14 a lsv beingsprung free of the. eye wiresS and 6 as a result pithe shock is reducedto a minimum. Similarly, the blow administered to the individualcolliding with the wearer; of the. glasses is substantially reduced as a result of, the resiliency of the arch C and the casings; 3i] and 31 The casings 3.6 and 31 prevent injury. to the other individual colliding with the wearer of the goggles since the arch and the casings yield and the latter cover any sharp prqtuberances of the temple hinges 7 and 8. It

is'not uncommon for participants in active sports to be seriously injured as a result of" coming incontact with these, temple hinges orrordinaryspectacles. It should be i q edi ha e dabi t of the arch i s ch. tha there is very little if any likelihood of the eye wires Itshould also he noted that the loops '26 and 27 pro-' 7 vide strength to the bodies of the legs 28 and 29 of the arch and at the same time provide for permanent aflixation of the material of the legs 28 and 29 to the eye wires 5 and 6 and to the bridge B. These loops 26 and 27. provide support for the "legs oh'thearch and meansfor afiixing. these legs securelyand permanentiyt to eye wires. 7 y

Another advantage. of. our. spectacles thebrid'ge member B can be rebent slightly beneath the rubber coatingor arch C so as to' permit'any given pair ofspectacles 1I liH m l$ h Q: a nti nfi be -t justed tofit all types of human noses i In othefwords, any given pair of spectacles can be adapted to. any individual competitor desiring to wear the same by simply rebending the bridge member B slightly beneath the arch C. This can be accomplished by grasping the respective eye wiresand ending them towargdior apart from each other as e desired f Thus. it canbe s I improved spectaclesfor wear by competitors. in active I sports whereinthe likelihood'of'severe collisions is relaand 5 being deformed by a'blovvv suffered thereagainst to gcanse the lenses to be ejected by, the eye wires.

A very important advantage Qfour spectacles is that a speetacle manufacturedin accordance with our invention'elimjnatestthe need for nose pads which are com- -monlyutil iged int'conjunction with; spectacles and thereby 's imi a e danger f niuo' r m su h nosepads and fthetmounting which supports the same, 7 *By eliminating I lhenose pads and providing the soft, resilient arch'C we s t ve pr e e, ug ng; an e i u nj ry the "nose which often is suffered by a wearer when the confvfi t iional type of'speqtaclesiswornin sport competition.

At the same time, the. ja or shock which is transmitted tothe facial portion ofthe wearer is reduced to a minirtnrrn when; a collision between the competitors occurs.

and pass around the eye wires 5 and 6 serveia dual purpose. These portions securely aflix the arch to the eye ,w res 1 as to preclude, the. same frombeing turn away f rotn theembracing relation in which the, material of the T arch C extends. Reference to Figs. 2 and'3 shows that :the material of the arch C extends arourid'the eye wires and embraces the same along the nasal sides thereof. The materialipassing through the recesses locks the lenses etc the eye wires- 5 and 6aand prevents their rotation and 'hence prevents the vision of the wearer from; being serions-1v mpaired as a result of such rotation. "i

' ;sho ul d be; noted: that. the-portions of the arch C w ich; pa hro gh t et e eses 4a, 1 b.- nd m 1 may; r at; lt. can. be readily seen that anyone may as f he a mis Pa t w thutdra t het qm th An all almisa s m y nc udi i wmb n an 1 an: eye. wire having a nasal and a temporal side,; a lens i W t in an w e nihav s n s sid w a to n he Per p e -P t ons t e a brid e me idl w c ed i i y Wi e a ds-a per ing the: sane, and a soft, resilient and tough arch encas-v ing said bridge member and having portions thereoftex tending through the recess of said lens and en ir ling the nasal side. of said eye wire to precludeirotation 9f S id lens fandniore firmly affix said arch to said bridge member and said eye wire; said arch being shaped to conform t -the bridge of anose of a human-and f unetioning to protect. the wearer from saideye wire'and said bridge member in the event of a sharp concussion received-thereand to simultaneously-protect said eye wire-from deformation and consequent; ejection of its lens.

2. An ophthalmicv assembly inclnding in. combination 7 ;an eyewire having a nasal side,;a lens mounted within tsaicl eyev pa e bridge member rigidly connected with i We Wire 4 Bq nst me a t p 1 hermounted on said eye wire and extending rearwardly from the nasal side thereof, and, an arch made o f soft, re s l ent and tough material encasing said bridge member and eirtending, through said loop and completely encasing .tthe sfn e, said arch being shaped to conform to'the bridge of a, nose of a human and functioning to; protect the wearerifrorn said eyewire and from said bridgemember l lil the. event of a: sharp concussion received thereagainst and to ,snr ultaneously protect'said eye wire from; defoi- =n1 a-tionrand consequent ejection of its'lens.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 the major poi Y tron ofi-sa d loop. member being positioned below said bridge member and said arch having portions thereof ex "tending; downwardly to encase said loop member and etnbrace the nasal. side of'said eye .wire. V a 4. An ophthalmic assembly including .incombination an el/e wire having, a nasal side; a lens mounted within sjaid eye wire a, bridge me mberr rigidly connected with Sam}??? e t!, QR E EE e W s id br d ber includ ng a nose strap support secured tosaid eye wife t h te ov ded l qv lad but having its medial portions spaced rearwardly therefrom, said medial portions having apertures extending therethrough, a rigid loop member mounted on said eye wire and extending rearwardly from the nasal side thereof, and a soft but tough rubber arch encasing said loop member and said bridge member and extending through said loop member and having portions thereof extending through said apertures and filling the same, said arch being shaped to conform to the bridge of a nose of a human and functioning to protect the wearer from said eye wire and said bridge member in the event of a sharp concussion received thereagainst and to simultaneously protect said eye wire from deformation and consequent ejection of its lens.

5. An ophthalmic assembly including in combination an eye wire having a nasal side, a lens mounted within said eye wire, a bridge member rigidly connected with said eye wire and supporting the same, a strap secured at one of its ends to the nasal side of said eye wire and extending rearwardly and then downwardly therealong in spaced relation thereto, and an arch made of soft, resilient and tough material encasing said bridge member and said strap completely, said arch being shaped to conform to the bridge of a nose of a human and functioning to protect the wearer from said eye wire and said bridge member in the event of a sharp concussion received thereagainst and to simultaneously protect said eye wire from deformation and consequent ejection of its lens.

6. An article of manufacture consisting of a lens frame comprised of a pair of eye Wires each having a nasal and temporal side, a central bridge member rigidly connected with said eye wires and extending therebetween and supporting the same, a rigid loop member mounted on the nasal side of each of said eye wires and extending rearwardly therefrom in opposed positions and a soft, resilient and tough coating applied to said frame in encasing relation to said bridge members and said loop member and securely afiixed thereto and extending through said loop members to preclude its being torn therefrom when said frame is worn by competitors in athletics.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 411,164 Molitor Sept. 17, 1889 1,385,828 Hogue July 26, 1921 1,517,685 Searles Dec. 2, 1924 1,868,450 Wall July 19, 1932 2,561,403 Nelson July 24, 1951 2,582,345 Moeller Jan. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,657 Great Britain of 1898 21,009 Great Britain of 1911 

